


The Birth of The Elven Bow Mages

by white_tiger



Series: Horned love [3]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/F, Rape Aftermath, Rape Recovery, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-16
Updated: 2016-09-17
Packaged: 2018-08-15 09:00:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8050204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/white_tiger/pseuds/white_tiger
Summary: the back story of how Simra and Dalish the bow using mages lost their clan each other but found new families in the ashes of their loss.





	1. the fall of the clan

**Author's Note:**

> warning things will get dark before they get better, but i promise you this the pain is needed for the light spots to shin brighter.

CH.1 the fall of the clan.

Dalish sat by the fire watching Simra chatter at the dwarf named Varric who was smiling and keeping pace with the small elf, Dalish sighed happily as she snuggled deeper into the embrace of her soulmate Skinner. Skinner hugged her tighter as she adjusted her seat between Skinner’s thighs enjoying the feeling of Skinner purring as elves do when they are really comfortable. 

She watched Simra talking about the missions she had been on with Asaaranda, Dalish had been shocked by the fact that the herald and the chief had bad blood but it seem to mostly be some kind of mistake on both their parts. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against her love’s breasts allowing the smooth rise and fall of Skinner’s chest accompanied by her heartbeat to send her mind drifting back to that fateful day so long ago when her clan died and she found her soulmate.

Long before she became known solely as Dalish her name was Kara Lavellan first to her clan and currently the person stuck on ‘Simra duty’ as her clan liked to put it, not that her clan disliked the young elf no not at all she was their pride and joy the only elf in living memory to learn the full tongue of her people but she had one large problem her pension for finding trouble wherever she went. 

So here Kara sat on a half collapsed pillar in the middle of the ruin watching the young woman sleep as she walked the fade, Simra was actually her cousin and the clan’s second the one elf the clan would never trade away to another clan no matter what. The smell of smoke reached her and Kara looked around for the source and saw to her horror a giant pillar of smoke behind her coming from the direction of the camp! Kara jumped off her seat and rushed over to Simra to gently as she could while hurrying woke the elf, but to her shock before she could even lay a hand on the elf Simra bolted upright and whirled to her. 

[Come on Ma Falon the clan needs us!] With that the woman grabbed her bow shaped staff and tossed Kara her plain staff before rushing off towards camp, Kara followed right on her heels while praying to the creators they would get there in time to save the clan.

Kara and Simra entered the clearing holding the clan to find the wagons on fire and many of their clan already dead but many more now trapped in cages and soldiers and mages yelling in trevent force them into the cages, a shout alerted Kara to the fact that the slavers had seen them but before they could run they found themselves surrounded by the slavers. 

Simra whirled and put her back to Kara and drew and settled her staff into a defensive position while Kara did the same thing. With spells flying the pair fought bitterly to escape the circle, when one of Simra’s fireballs set fire to one of Kara’s oil spells the slavers moved out of the way of the flames creating a small opening that the elves took. 

Bolting through flames and into the forest they ran knowing it was too late now to help the clan the only thing they could do is run and hope to find another clan, a fireball blasted the pair part throwing Kara forward –breaking her staff-and knocking Simra to the ground where a branch fell trapping her there. 

Kara rushed to her side trying to pull her cousin out from under the tree, the sound of soldiers come made them freeze and Kara glanced fearfully at the trees. [Run Ma Falon warn the other clans that slavers are here in the marches Simra will buy you time!] 

[Simra!] Kara said choking on tears, Simra smiled sadly and brushed the tears from Kara’s eyes. 

[Simra will do the Dalish proud, Simra will not submit. Go Ma Falon the others need to know!] Simra said choking on her own tears, more rustling more Simra writhe before sending a pulse of force magic flying into Kara hurling her and Simra’s staff across a small ravine nearly thirdty feet away. 

[SIMRA!] Kara cried as she saw the slavers come through the trees and Simra twisted yelling in elven as she hurled spell after spell at the slavers who slowly advanced. [I am of the last elven and never again will I submit!] 

Kara stood rooted to the spot watching in horror her younger cousin’s last stand, she saw a sword run Simra through and when it was pulled out the elven mage fell back to the ground soundlessly. She scrambled up dropping Simra’s bow staff with its crystal top and ran into the woods refusing to let her cousin’s sacrifice be wasted!


	2. The birth of Dalish

CH.2 Skinner learns to help mend a broken heart.

Skinner sat on a stump sharpening one of her many knives as she waited for supper to finish cooking, Krem was cooking tonight which meant that the food would be great tasting. A sound alerted Skinner and she turned to face the tree line near their camp site, she saw several others grabbing their weapons as they had all heard about the Dalish clan that had been attacked by slavers two days ago. 

A elven woman burst through the bushes at the tree line running straight for their camp and Skinner tensed before cursing loudly at the sight of slavers on horseback riding the woman down, it quickly became clear that the woman was a mage when she hurled a mana bolt over her shoulder. But it was also equally clear that the woman would not make it to the camp before the riders overcame her. 

Ignoring the cries of her fellow chargers she ran forward drawing her throwing knives and without breaking stride whipped one into the eye of the leading horseman, she threw another knife into the throat of another the woman ran past her not even glancing at her just running for the fire. 

Skinner threw one more knife before, a large horned mass slammed into the nearest horsemen and a smaller human shaped battering ram named Krem crashed into the last one. The two fighters made quick work of the remaining horsemen, while Skinner went to retrieve her knives and to make sure the bastards were dead. after cleaning off the knives, the chief and Skinner walked back to camp while Rocky and Krem went to deal with the bodies. 

They found Grim and Stiches tending the woman who sat by the fire shaking, when chief cleared his throat the woman jumped up whirling with hands now coated in an icy aura. “Whoa there girl! I am not going to hurt you, we just want to make sure you are okay and find out what happened.” Chief said in a calming voice holding his hands up in a peaceful gesture. 

The woman relaxed, sitting down again and letting Stiches patch her up. Skinner moved to replace Grim in helping the woman, the woman turned to look Skinner in the eye and what Skinner saw made her shiver as her eyes seemed to glow with an inner light. 

“Ma serannas knife thrower, I owe you my life Lethallan.” She said, with a solemn bow of her head. The was complete silence except for the fire crackling, Everyone in the chargers knew each other’s soul marks. Given Skinner’s ran down her shin everyone had seen it on hot days. 

Kara even in her exhausted stat noticed the change in the air and she looked around but saw them only looking at her. “What is the matter?” She asked in her heavily accented voice, the other elf at this point seemed to break out of her shock and spoke quietly. 

“They are just shocked and rude fucks for starring at my soulmate like a piece of meat!” For the last part she raised her voice to carry to the others who all found other things to do besides, the large horned man who only started laughing loudly. 

It was Kara’s turn to be shocked as the words the Simra had told her many year ago were on her left but cheek came out of the other woman’s mouth. It was all too much to handle and she broke down crying, finally letting the tears for the loss of her clan and best friend fall.

Skinner was scared (Not that she would ever admit it!) when her newly found soulmate broke down crying, Skinner looked around helplessly at her team mates for help as she did not know what to do she never dealt with crying people often as she usually left that to more comforting people. 

The men including the chief looked away or in the case of stiches when he finished patching all he could at the moment as she only had minor wounds and was mostly starving and tired, thankfully Krem came up behind her and whispered in her left ear. “Just hold her and let her feel she is not alone right now, she is probably one of the Dalish whose clan was just wiped-out.” 

Skinner cringed at the thought of her new soulmate feeling alone after surviving the death of her clan, making a decision she gently wrapped her arms around the woman and led her into Skinner’s tent asking for Krem to leave two meals at the entrance when it was ready.

Skinner awkwardly sat the woman on her cot and began gently removing the damaged robes, the woman tensed briefly but then relaxed to help her remove everything but her loin cloth and breast band. Skinner heard Krem leave the meals outside the tent, she rose whispering that she would be right back and quickly grabbed the meals and placed them on the ground next to the cot before stripping down to her own under clothes. 

She awkwardly got the woman to eat the food with her before getting her under the covers and pulled her into a tight hug, this made the woman break down again even harder and this left Skinner feeling unhappy at not knowing how to make this better for the woman while she rubbed her back until she fell asleep.

_________________________

Kara came awake to the feeling of being hugged tightly when she stirred to see who it was the whole last three days came crashing back making her whimper, she felt the arms tense then tighten gently before a soft voice drew her away from her memories. 

“Hey please don’t cry! I don’t know how to deal with that and then I might start crying and that will ruin my rep!” the voice sound like it was trying to joke and despite herself she chuckled, at her chuckle the woman’s tension lessened and for whatever reason had made Kara relax as well. 

“Are you to decent?” a voice called from outside the tent, the arms around her tensed again before she heard a whisper. “Are you ready to speak with my chief and my team mates about what happened, we might be able to help.” 

Kara nodded gently before speaking her voice rough from her tears. “Y-Yes I think I can as long as I don’t need to go into detail.” The woman called they would be out in a moment.

Kara went outside after dressing in clothes the woman who introduced herself as Skinner loaned her as they were very close in size and build the clothes fit perfectly, the group that greeted her were very kind and that helped her tell the story of what happened to her clan. 

At the end of her tale the Chargers were determined to take her back to the site to see if they could find anything to help her remember her clan or in the slim chance catch up to the slavers, she nearly started crying again at their kind words. No one asked her name and she did not offer it as she could not yet figure out who she was after all that happened she no longer felt like Kara Lavellan.  


They reached the site and found everything either burned beyond recognition or missing, from either the slavers or scavengers. She was about to give up hope of finding anything, when skinner called out. Skinner was wandering the camp site looking for anything that would make her soulmate feel better, when she came across a burned strip of earth the was at the start of a broken path. 

she called out to her soulmate to point out the path to her. When they started following the path her soulmate became more and more tense so Skinner not knowing what to do just took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze that helped the Dalish woman relax, at least until them came across an area that looked like a war zone with broken trees and scorch marks everywhere. 

Then Skinner saw the huge pool of dried blood on the ground and gently steered her soulmate away from the area, a flicker of light made her stop and look just past a small ravine and again saw a small glimmer there. Leaving the woman in the hands of Krem she leapt lightly over the ravine to examine the sparkle and found it to be a bow shaped staff, picking it up she carried it back to the woman.

When she returned she knelt in front of her soulmate who now sat on a log looking on the verge of tears again, she gently move the staff into her view and asked gently. “Is this yours? I found it over by the ravine.” With tears falling freely now but to Skinner’s relief a small smile on her lips the woman shook her head. 

“No this belonged to my young cousin Simra she saved me by throwing me with a spell over the ravine.” The woman took it gently and rose telling the group she wanted to leave as there was nothing left for her here. That night Krem looked at the Dalish and asked. “What is your name? I just realized we did not even ask you.” 

“I don’t have one anymore the woman I was died with my clan and cousin.” Skinner winced at the pain in her voice. 

“How about Dalish?” the chief asked and the woman agreed smiling slightly as she settled between her soulmate’s thighs and closing her eyes to listen to the sounds of the group that hoped would one day become her new family.


	3. forged from hate tempered by love

CH.3 forged from hate tempered by love.

Simra had tears in her eyes when she pulsed force magic hurling her cousin away from her along with her staff, the slavers broke through the underbrush a moment later and Simra was determined to take as many with her as she could and buy Kara as much time as she could. She felt the blade pierce her and her spell died on her finger tips, as the sword came out and with it her strength. 

as she fell she saw Kara start to run and prayed for her to stay safe but as she passed out she heard them calling for horses and knew Kara would die. As she drifted in the blackness she heard whispers of the spirits of the ruin she had just visited, as the whispers drifted closer she could hear them begging her to live on but she was too weak. 

She felt a warm feeling spread through her as the whispers fade and Simra wept in the blackness as she knew the sprits were giving all of their soul and power to heal her and she wept for their lives lost for her to live.

Simra came awake to the feeling of the ground moving and she groaned and was dropped, she vaguely heard cursing and then someone forcing her eyes open making her groan again and try to push them away before she lost the battle again with the blackness and the last thing she heard was the order for a suppression collar to be attached to her. 

The next few days past in a blur as she was healed enough that she would live and not bear a scar from her run in with a sword, when she was fit enough that she could walk and attempt to escape the slavers locked her in a wagon under guard at all times.

The first night would haunt her for the rest of her life, she had just started to drift off when a fist grabbed her hair pulling her over to a stack of crates in the back of the wagon. She was thrown on top of them still confused from the drugs they kept feeding her to stop her from using her magic. 

But when a pair of rough hands yanked her breeches and loin cloth down to her ankles she realized what was happening and started to fight as best she could. The lead mage slaver just laughed before forcing some kind of drug past her gag and making her swallow it. 

“Don’t worry knife-ear soon enough you will be begging me for my cock like the little rabbit you are!” He purred in her ear, and he was right on one account she soon felt a fire burning in her core and she fought hard to ignore it. 

Soon the slaver grew impatient and started to line himself up but Simra fought like a wild horse until a glyph stopped her movements, the bastard laughed as he lined up and thrusted into her hard making her cry from the pain and that only got the bastard off more. 

The man left the wagon after he was finished laughing as he went and Simra was still collapsed on the crates the rest of her clothes now gone after the bastard cleaned himself off with them then burned them leaving her dirtied and naked along with tied to the crates, Simra started crying from hate and cursing every single shem. 

She felt the cart shift and a new pair of hands grab her before thrusting into her without preparing her in the slightest, this continued for the rest of the night and every hole in her body was used by every man and women among the slavers team. 

This happened every night even when they reached port(A trip that took months) and sold the rest of her clan to a work camp in the coal mines they took her with them on their ship back to trevinter, the night after they set sail after a pair of brothers finished raping her extra hard because she managed to break one of the brothers nose she heard that the ship carrying her clan mates had sunk in the storm the night before.

**Nearly a year later** 

The Sun was setting and Simra was trying to gather her magic again to try another escape she had managed to gather enough magic a few times to at least kill the women who had raped her, just as the mage had finished pinning her in place and was lining himself up the sound of thunder crashing and the screams of dying men reached them making the mage freeze. 

A qunari woman wrapped in lightning burst into the room making the mage forget to hold the prison spell, Simra seized the opening letting out a scream of rage that was accompanied by a blast of pure power that killed the mage and shattered her chains. 

Asaaranda watched as the small elf collapsed a beat after releasing the blast of pure power, she ran to the woman’s side after checking the other mage was dead. What she saw made her see red as the woman showed signs of having been abused for days. 

Casting a peace charm on the woman she went above deck to make she the rest of the slavers were dealt with and ordering to make sure her cabin had an extra cot in it with everything needed to tend a dalish slave who had been abused. She quickly grabbed a blanket and rushed back down the stairs to wrap the woman in the blanket and carried the woman into her cabin all while making sure none saw the how bad of shape the elf was in, she called in the female healer to heal her clean the woman and Purge the womb to ensure that no seed took root there.  


Simra came awake with soft clothes and a warm blanket covering her, Simra bolted straight up panicking looking for the slavers however the sharp movement caused her body to scream in pain. [Easy there Dalen you are hurt really bad, but don’t worry you are safe now the slavers are dead and you and the other freed slaves are on a ship bound for a port of the tal-valsoth who will help you recover.] A gentle voice said in flawless elven. 

Simra turned slowly to look at the source of the sound, and found it to be a sliver skinned Qunari woman. The woman and Simra talked for a bit more before the woman made her eat a bit and drink a draught before laying down to sleep again. The woman rose to leave but Simra grasped weakly as her wrist. 

[Please don’t leave Simra! Everyone else has left Simra and Simra is scared of the dark now, please stay with Simra!] she pleaded weakly and the woman smiled gently. 

[Very well Simra, I will stay with you for tonight. Also my name is Asaaranda Adaar if I am not around and you need to find me on the ship just ask them where I am and they will bring you to me.] she said gently before laying in the bed with Simra and hugging her tight and Simra sighed feeling much safer in this woman’s arms like when Kara used to watch over her when she slept in the ruins knowing that she was safe from all harm.

As the weeks passed Simra became a fixture among the crew, she could always be found with Asaaranda either training to rebuild her strength and learn more spells or just by her side learning to be her second. Simra just two days after waking up aboard the ship had made it clear she wanted to stay with Adaar. 

Adaar agreed on the term that Simra learn to pull her weight, and Simra reasoned that she could be by her new found mother’s side more by being her second so that is what she was working for. The crew soon found out that despite the horrors she experienced at the slaver’s hands for nearly two years had only made the girl even more dangerous in battle as she had some kind of cold fire burning in her. 

When asked she simply said. [the spirits that saved Simra and gave Simra their power to live on, and it was power born from hatred towards the ones who wronged the innocent.] 

Simra grew to slowly overcome the trauma of her past, and became more open and friendly and soon became the group’s mascot and second best mage who master with Adaar’s help her bow based magic. Simra would always be the first to help the poor small downtrodden people, the first to torture slavers or blood mages for information but she was always friendly with the Val-Kos who had become her new family. 

They did not replace the one she lost but they helped her move on with her life and see the world through brighter eyes not ones clouded by hate for what happened to her and her clan.


End file.
